Nagaland elections 2018: BJP-NDPP combine seems set to deliver big upset to NPF

Former Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio has already been declared the winner uncontested in the Northern Angami II constituency.

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Kohima: Nagaland is all geared up counting of the votes cast in 59 of its 60 constituencies. And the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seem to have acquired a certain bounce in the their step. If the combine wins, the BJP would have successfully manoeuvred itself back into power from one alliance to the next.

What better way for a political alliance to head into an election already having won a seat even before the first vote has been cast. That is the bounce in the step for the alliance between the newly-formed Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has already been declared the winner uncontested in the Northern Angami II constituency. His newly formed party, the NDPP, made a number of gains in the run-up to the polls, with a number of defections from the NPF. The BJP too managed to strengthen its profile by absorbing a number of independents and Congress leaders.

Just before the elections, the BJP broke ties with the National People's Party (NPF), with whom it has shared power all these years. NPF leader and Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang were in different political cliques within their own party while Rio was still a member of the NPF.

That has seen the BJP head into this election with an old ally in a new party, against an old ally. And the gamble seems to have paid off. The CVoter exit poll also sees a similar result, with 25-31 seats for the NDPP-BJP, 19-25 for NPF, 0-4 for Congress and 6-10 for others. The JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll predicts 27-32 seats for the NDPP-BJP combine, 20-25 for the NPF, 0-2 for Congress and 5-7 for others.